Year-End Possibilities: Congressional Agenda for Ag

In a recent interview with Brownfield Ag News, the head lobbyist with the American Farm Bureau said she expects Congress to resolve three key agriculture issues before 2016.

Mary Kay Thatcher told Brownfield that lawmakers might not hit the December 11 deadline but will pass the omnibus budget bill by year’s end.

“That bill is what keeps the government running,” she said, “so we can’t let it shut down.”

She said about 50 tax bills need to be extended too, including Section 179 depreciation and bonus depreciation for farmers.

The lobbyist is also optimistic that Congress will pass a highway bill in 2015. While the bill no longer contains language that would have allowed states to increase weight limits on interstate highways, completion of the multi-year bill will allow a greater degree of certainty for the industry and assurance to rural communities worried about the condition of their roads and bridges.  S ​